Family Therapy Approaches and Techniques Quiz

History and Theoretical Frameworks of Family Therapy

• Family therapy has a long history in many cultures, often involving formal procedures, rituals, and the extended family.
• The origins of professional family therapy in Western cultures can be traced back to the 19th century social work movements in the United Kingdom and the United States.
• The formal development of family therapy dates back to the 1940s and early 1950s with the founding of the American Association of Marriage Counselors and the work of various independent clinicians and groups.
• The early founders of family therapy had backgrounds in psychoanalysis and social psychiatry, and later incorporated learning theory and behavior therapy into their work.
• The movement received a boost in the early 1950s through the work of anthropologist Gregory Bateson and colleagues, who introduced ideas from cybernetics and general systems theory into social psychology and psychotherapy.
• The Bateson Project emphasized feedback and homeostatic mechanisms in interactions and eschewed the traditional focus on individual psychology and historical factors.
• The members of the Bateson Project had a particular interest in the possible psychosocial causes and treatment of schizophrenia, especially in terms of the "meaning" and "function" of signs and symptoms within the family system.
• By the mid-1960s, distinct schools of family therapy had emerged, including MRI Brief Therapy, strategic therapy, structural family therapy, and the Milan systems model, each with its own emphasis and approach.
• Experiential approaches by Virginia Satir and Carl Whitaker emphasized subjective experience, authentic communication, spontaneity, and total therapist engagement.
• Intergenerational therapies by Murray Bowen, Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy, James Framo, and Norman Paul dealt with the intergenerational transmission of health and dysfunction in families.
• Psychodynamic family therapy, influenced by Nathan Ackerman's ideas and the British School of Object Relations, continued to develop through various groups that focused on individual psychology and the unconscious in the context of current relationships.
• Overall, the history and theoretical frameworks of family therapy have been shaped by a diverse range of influences, theories, and approaches.

Autism Spectrum Disorder vs. Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) includes a variety of communication and social interaction difficulties, alongside repetitive behaviors and restricted interests.
• Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder focuses specifically on challenges in the use of verbal and nonverbal communication without the restricted behaviors seen in ASD.

Specific Learning Disorder vs. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

• Specific Learning Disorder impacts the ability to process or understand information, affecting skills like reading, writing, or math.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by persistent patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity, affecting overall functioning rather than specific learning capabilities.

Pica vs. Rumination Disorder

• Pica involves the consumption of non-nutritive, non-food substances over a period of at least one month.
• Rumination Disorder entails the repeated regurgitation of food, which may be re-chewed, re-swallowed, or spit out, without a medical cause.

Language Disorder vs. Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder

• Language Disorder is marked by deficits in understanding or using language, affecting verbal communication.
• Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder, often known as stuttering, involves disruptions in the flow of speech, characterized by repetitions and prolonged sounds.

Tourette’s Disorder vs. Persistent Motor/Vocal Tic Disorder

• Tourette’s Disorder includes multiple motor tics and one or more vocal tics over time, with onset during childhood.
• Persistent Motor/Vocal Tic Disorder involves either motor or vocal tics but does not combine both, and must be present for a year without a Tourette’s diagnosis.

Encopresis vs. Enuresis

• Encopresis is the involuntary defecation that occurs in inappropriate places, often associated with constipation or behavioral issues.
• Enuresis refers to involuntary urination, typically occurring during sleep (nocturnal) or during the day (diurnal), beyond the age of expected bladder control.

Separation Anxiety Disorder vs. Generalized Anxiety Disorder

• Separation Anxiety Disorder manifests as excessive fear related to separation from attachment figures, often seen in children.
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder involves persistent excessive worry about various aspects of life, affecting individuals of all ages.

Selective Mutism vs. Social Anxiety Disorder

• Selective Mutism is a consistent inability to speak in specific social situations despite being able to speak in other contexts, primarily noted in children.
• Social Anxiety Disorder encompasses a fear of social or performance situations where there is potential for embarrassment or judgment.

Reactive Attachment Disorder vs. Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder

• Reactive Attachment Disorder occurs when a child has experienced insufficient care, leading to difficulty forming emotional attachments and hypervigilance.
• Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder features a pattern of overly familiar behavior with strangers, due to a lack of attachment experiences.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder vs. Conduct Disorder vs. Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder is characterized by a persistent pattern of angry, irritable mood, argumentative behavior, and vindictiveness.
• Conduct Disorder involves more severe behaviors, including aggression, destruction of property, deceitfulness, or serious rule violations.
• Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder features severe temper outbursts inconsistent with developmental level, and a persistently irritable or angry mood.

Brief Psychotic Disorder vs. Schizophreniform Disorder vs. Schizophrenia

• Brief Psychotic Disorder lasts less than one month and involves sudden onset of psychotic symptoms, often following a stressful event.
• Schizophreniform Disorder presents symptoms similar to schizophrenia but persists for at least one month but less than six months.
• Schizophrenia is characterized by a range of symptoms (delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and impaired functioning) lasting for six months or longer.

Major Depressive Disorder vs. Unspecified Depressive Disorder vs. Persistent Depressive Disorder

• Major Depressive Disorder includes specific criteria (such as depressed mood, loss of interest, or significant weight gain/loss) impacting function for at least two weeks.
• Unspecified Depressive Disorder does not meet full criteria for a specific depressive disorder but presents significant depressive symptoms.
• Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) features chronic depressive mood lasting for at least two years, often less severe but more enduring than major depression.

Bipolar I Disorder vs. Bipolar II Disorder vs. Cyclothymic Disorder

• Bipolar I Disorder is characterized by at least one manic episode, possibly accompanied by depressive episodes.
• Bipolar II Disorder features at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode, without any full-blown manic episode.
• Cyclothymic Disorder involves numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms lasting for at least two years, but does not meet criteria for major depressive episodes.

Unspecified Depressive Disorder vs. Unspecified Mood Disorder vs. Unspecified Bipolar Disorder

• Unspecified Depressive Disorder includes significant depressive symptoms that do not meet full criteria for other depression types.
• Unspecified Mood Disorder presents mood disturbances that do not fit criteria for identified mood disorders.
• Unspecified Bipolar Disorder features mood cycling that doesn't meet specific criteria for other bipolar disorders but still causes significant distress or impairment.

Schizoaffective Disorder

• Schizoaffective Disorder combines symptoms of schizophrenia (such as hallucinations or delusions) and mood disorder (depressive or manic episodes) for a significant portion of the illness.